Shipping-tag holder and lock.



210. 741,091. PATBN-TED 001. 13, 1903.

I MI'ALGBR.

SHIPPING ma manna AND LOCK.

APPLMAEIJMZ HERD MW. 24, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES i Fatented October 13, 'l90.

PATENT rricn.

SHIPPING-TAG HOLUER AND LOCK;

SPECIFICATION forming part or Letters Patent no. 741,091,. dated October 13, mos. Application filed Novemhhr 24, 1902. Serial lie. 132,592. (No model) or tag.

The device may be employed for securing many difierent structuressuch as freightcars, express package closures, shippingcrates mail-sacks, and the like-and has for its object the production of a simply-constructed, easily applied and operated device which will effectually maintain the integrity of the seal and also protect the tag or label from abrasion and likewise prevent tampering with the locking mechanism and prevent its being actuated without destroying the tag 'or label. H

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter shown and described, and specified in the claims.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, in which like designating characters are employed to denote corresponding parts in all the figures, Figure l is a plan view of the device complete and applied. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the'line II II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view of the base member of the device with the tag-holder and tag detached. Fig. 4. is asimilar view of the tag-holder de-j tached. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on the line V V of Fig. 1. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are views similar to Figs. 3, 4L, and 5, illustrating modifications in some of the details of the construction. Fig. 9 is a side view of the form of the tag-holder shown in Fig. 7.

The improved device consists in a base member 10, preferably formed of sheet-steel, with the edges turned inwardly, as shown, to form spaced guides 11 12 longitudinally of the base-plate 10 and preferably inclined, as shown in Figs. .5 and 8.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the plate 10 is provided with a transverse perforation 13,the base-plate 10 preferably extended beyond the guide- I ribs 11 12 at the end containing the perfora tion, as shown. The base member 10 is provided with a transverse aperture in which a plate 14 fits, the plate provided with asupporting-spring 15, by which it is maintained in operative position, preferably with its inner face flush with the inner surface of the plate 10. The spring member 15 fits through a longitudinal aperture in the plate 10 and is riveted at one end to the plate 10 and also riveted to the plate 14 and with its other end extended over the surface of the baseplate 10, as shown, and exerts its force to maintain the plate 14 in substantialalinement or flush with the plate 10. The plate 141s provided with spurs 16, extending therefrom toward the inner surfaces of the ribs 11 12, as shown, and arranged in different horizontal planes.

The label-holder consists in a plate 17,

preferably of sheet-"steel, and having one end formed with a transverse rib l8 and the other end provided with an extended tongue 19. The plate 17 is likewise provided with a central aperture 20 and spaced perforations 21, corresponding to the spurs 16,and through which the spurs are adapted to pass when the label holder is in position, as hereinafter shown. v

The label is indicated at 33 and may. consist of any suitable material; but labels employed in devices of this character are usually paper of a hard tenacious quality, with the directions partially printed and partially written thereon. The label will conform to the body portion jof'the holder 17 and will rest thereon with one end in engagement with the rib 18, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the label, as will be obvious, when in position upon the holder 1'? completely covering and concealing all the apertures therein.

The base member 10 is provided with means for attaching it to the structure to beprotected, and this means will generally be screws or rivets passing through screw or rivet holes (indicated at 22) and entirely covered and protected by the label-holder when in position, as will be obvious.

As above noted, the spurs 16 are in difi'erent horizontal planes, and thecorresponding perforations 21 are similarly disposed, so that when the device is to be employed and the perforation 13 placed over the staple or looking member and the label-holder 17, with the label in position thereon,inserted beneath the guides 11 12, the plate 14 having been depressed sufficiently to allow the holder 17 to pass over the outward spurs 16, the holder will be forced inward until the bolt 19 passes through the aperture in the staple projecting through the aperture 13 and with the rib 18 engaging the outer ends of the guides 11 12, this-action bringing the perforations 21 into position opposite the spurs l6, permitting the spring 15 to force the plate 14 outwardly and cause the spurs to project into the label, and thus effectually prevent its withdrawal or the withdrawal of the label holder. The spurs 16 thus perform two functions-first, as holders to prevent the withdrawal of the label-holder by engaging the apertures 21, and, second, as spurs to form indentations in the paper label and press it outward against the inner surfaces of the ribs 11 12. By this arrangement it will be obvious that the label covering the aperture 20 effectually prevents access to the spring-supported plate 14 without destroying the label or disfiguring it, and thus disclosing the fact that the lock has been tampered with. Thus it will be obvious by this construction that the locking means may be released only by depressing the spring-supported plate 14, and this plate can be reached when the holder 17 is in position' only through the aperture 20, and if this aperture is covered by the label and the label held immovable within the framework and removable therefrom only by its destruction it will be evident that the lock will remain intact until released by the destruction of the label.

The whole device is very simple in construction and can be manufactured very cheaply, while at the same time possessing all of the ad vantages of devices constructed for a similar purpose and having a much more complicated and elaborate arrangement of parts.

The device may be employed in connection with various forms of inclosures-such as trunks employed by express companies for shipping smaller packages, shipping crates and boxes of various kinds, freightcars, through express-cars, and the like-and may also be employed with slight modifications upon mail-sacks and similar structures.

The device may also be employed as an ordinary padlock, and for the purpose of illustration the slight modifications necessary to be employed in adapting the device for use as a mail-sack lock and label-holder are shown in Figs. 6, 7, and S. hen employed upon mail-sacks, the base member 10 will be provided with an open slot 23 and a perforation 24, as shown in Fig. 6, and the label-holder 17 may be extended its entire width at one end instead of being formed with the tongue 19, as indicated in Fig. 7, so that when the label-holder is inserted between the guides 11 12 the extended end will completely cover and conceal the slot and. perforation, as will be obvious. In applying this form of the device one end of the draw-cord of the mail-sack will be passed through the aperture 24 and knotted upon opposite sides of the base-plate, and the opposite end after passing around the mailsack will be inserted in the recess 23, and then when the holder 17 is pushed into position relative to the base member 10 it will engage and force the free end of the cord to the bottom of the recess and firmly hold said end in position and render it immovable except by the withdrawal of the holder 17.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and S the spring member 15 will be attached by one end to the base member 10 and with its free end fitting above a depression 26 in the bottom of the base member to provide for the corresponding depression of the spring memher when it is to be released from engagement with the label-holder 17.

When the modification shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 is employed, the aperture 20 will be located in position to be engaged by the free end of the spring member 15 when the labelholder is inserted in position, as will be obvious, this action preventing the removal of the label-holder until the spring is depressed, and as the aperture is covered by the label and the latter held immovable in place until destroyed it will be obvious that the drawcords cannot be released until the label is destroyed.

In the modification shown in Figs. 7 8, and 9 the edges of the holder 17 will be formed with projecting spurs 27, increasing in height toward the rib 18 to correspond to the inclination of the ribs 11 12, the function of these spurs being to firmly indent the under side of the label and press it against the guides 11 12 and effectually prevent its withdrawal, the spurs 27 thus serving the same purpose as the spurs 16 in the structure shown in Fig. 3.

As a further protection to the device a swivel-shield 31 may be employed, pivotally connected at 32 upon the holder 17 in position to be turned over the aperture 20 and effectually prevent the spring member from being depressed by simply depressing the label without fracturing it, which might be attempted in efforts to surreptitiously open the lock. The presence of the shield 31 will also effectually prevent tampering with the spring member by the insertion of a thin blade beneath the label.

All of the various modifications illustrated operate in substantially the same manner and coact to produce the same results, and are therefore not a departure from the prin ciple of the invention, and I reserve the right to such modification and alterations in the construction of the device as may fall within the scope of the claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a device of the class specified, a base spurs disposed to engage the label and main-.

tain it immovably positioned relative to the base member, and meansoperative by said label-holder for connecting said base member to the structure to be protected, substantially as described.

3. A combined seal-lock and label-holder consisting of a base member having spaced guides, a spring-catch connected to said base member and extending therefrom, a labelholder movably engaging said spaced guides and provided with an aperture adapted to engage said spring-catch, a shield pivotally connected to said label-holder and forming a movable cover to said aperture, said holder having spurs disposed to engage the label and maintain it immovably positioned relative to the base member, substantially as described.

i. A combined seal-lockfand label-holder consisting of a base member having spaced guides, a spring-catch connected to said base member and extending therefrom, a labelholder movably engaging said spaced guides and provided with an aperture adapted to engage said spring-catch, a shield carried by said label-holder and forming a movable cover for said aperture, said holder having spurs disposed to engage the label and maintain it immovably positioned relative to the base member.

5. A combined seal-lock and label-holder consisting of a base member having spaced guides longitudinally inclined relative to the base member, a spring-catch connected to said base memberand extending therefrom, a labelholder movably engaging said inclinedguides and provided with an aperture adapted to engage said spring-catch, said holder having spurs adaptedto engage the label and maintain it immovably positioned relative to the base member, substantially as described.

6. A combined seal-lock and label-holder consisting of a base member having spaced guides and provided with one or more perforations at one end, aspring-eatch connected to said base member and extending therefrom, a label-holder movably engaging said spaced guides and providedvwith an aperture adapted to engage said spring-catch, the labelholder extending across the perforations in said base member and having spurs disposed to engage the label and maintain it immovably positioned relativeto the base member, substantially as described.

7. A combined seal-lock and label-holder consisting of a base member having spaced guides, a spring-catch connected to said base member and extending therefrom, a labelholder formed of a plate having a stop-rib upon one end and movably engaging said spaced guides, and with an aperture adapted to engage said spring-catch, said holder having spurs adapted to-engage the label and maintain it immovably positioned relative to the base member, substantially as described.

8. A combined seal-lock and label-holder consisting of a base member formed of a sheetmetal plate having interned edges forming spaced guides, a spring-catch connected to said base member and extending therefrom, and a label-holder movably engaging said spaced guides and provided with an aperture adapted to engage said spring-catch, said holder having spurs disposed to engage the label and maintain it immovably positioned relative to the base member, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

' CHARLES M. ALGER.

Witnesses:

HERBERT CoLLINs, CHAS. R. MARTIN. 

